A Broken Heart
by Saffyvamp
Summary: When Death the Kid sustains fatal injuries from battling his newest nemesis, it turns out there's something Shinigami-sama hasn't told his son. Can Kid mend his broken heart? (I've only watched the Anime and have based this fan-fiction solely on the Anime. I apologise if anything's inaccurate. Also, as this is my first fan-fiction, I've rated it T just to be on the safe side).
1. Chapter 1 - Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater.**

* * *

**A BROKEN HEART: A SOUL EATER FAN-FICTION**

As Kid turned over, a bolt of pain ripped through his chest. Sitting up, nursing his heavy heart, Kid cast off the sheets and dropped his feet to the bedroom floor. Confusingly stiff, he stumbled for the bathroom sink, trying to massage the back of his neck as he went.

_How long have I been asleep?_ He yawned, cracking his neck right then left. He rolled his shoulders for good measure as he let the sink tap run, gathering several handful to slap over his face. He grabbed a clean cream towel, and hurriedly dried off, before grabbing his tooth brush. After double and triple checking his teeth in-between his flossing, Kid folded his towel symmetrically and placed it symmetrically on the shining silver rail. Kid waltzed back into his room to get dressed. His toothbrush stood at attention at its master departure, and for ever moment after.

"Hey, Liz, Patty, time for breakfast," he called.

Stopping at the hallway mirror to readdress a stubborn button on his jacket, Kid admired his perfect attire, choosing to ignore the three glaring white strips encompassing the left side of his head of healthy, nightmare black hair.

"Liz! Patty! Don't make me ask again," he warned, turning into the kitchen.

In a flash, the searing pain across his chest materialised and disappeared. In a matter of seconds, Kid was left clutching the kitchen doorway, his clothes plastered to his skin, his hair ladled with sweat.

_What the – Why am I – What's wrong with – Liz! Patty!_

Ignoring the agony, Kid tore back up his stairs. He slammed the door open, its handle bashing and indenting the wall behind it.

_Empty! Damn it!_ "Patty! Are you with your sister?" he called, his desperation mounting as he ran.

Three feet or three miles, Kid would have walked to Hell and back to see his friends again. But Liz's room was as barren as her sister's.

"Think, Kid, think. If they're not here – did they go to school? Why'd they leave me behind? No, answers later," he instructed, stalking over to his bedroom mirror. Hurriedly, he wrote the number he committed to memory as a child. "Come on Father, answer," he huffed, pacing back to seat himself on his four poster bed. He couldn't afford to collapse. Not now. Not ever.

* * *

"Hmm…? Hold on a moment, please. I'm getting a call," Shinigami voiced, answering his mirror with a wave of his hand. "Kiddo!" he jumped.

"Father, what –"

"Kid, what are you doing out of bed?" Liz scolded, rounding on the mirror.

"Oh, Kid's in trouble," Patty sang, holding her sides as she laughed.

"Liz, Patty," Kid sighed, breathing in a deep and endless sigh of relief. "Why are you at school? Why didn't you wake me up?"

"You need your rest, Kiddo," Shinigami answered. "I talked to Stein and he gave strict orders for plenty of bed rest."

"Bed rest? What on Earth for?" Kid interrogated.

"Don't you remember?" Liz questioned, her anger melting into concern.

"Remember what? Look, tell me when I get there."

"Don't leave the house, Kid," Shinigami ordered.

"Father, I don't –"

"Please."

There was a tense silence. It hung in the air like Death at a funeral.

"Alright," Kid breathed. "But I want a full explanation," he demanded.

"We'll be right over," Liz saved, nodding furiously. "Just take it...easy." It was pointless. Kid had already gone.

* * *

Kid signed off, cutting Liz short, and sat back on his bed. He leaned forward, holding his head in his hands, bracing his elbows on his thighs.

_What am I doing? What happened? Why can't I remember? Why's Father so concerned? It can't be about my OCD. No, he's already come to terms with that…_

With his head crammed full of questions, Kid slipped his jacket and shirt off. He strained at the effort, mentally scolding himself for not staying in shape. He bent down to untie his dress shoe laces, removing them and placing them next to his bedside cabinet, and pulled his socks off. Standing up sent blood rushing to his head; it made his ears ring. Half-heartedly, Kid tossed his socks onto his pile of laundry before he grabbed his mirror. It didn't have a choice, but took his weight anyway. Inhaling deeply, Kid closed his eyes in an attempt to empty his mind.

Shakily, he breathed out. _How can I be so tired?_

He sighed, opening his eyes, only to catch sight of his Father's concern. Dropping a hand, Kid reached out to touch the glass as he watched his soul dance before his eyes. He saw it, the dull slither fragments barely attached to the main body of his shruken, glowling soul. As questions devoured him, pain embraced him. Clumsily, Kid raced to call his father, his sweaty fingers slipping across the glass helplessly. Tears poured down his face, sliding over the glass, erasing all his hard work.

For a second, just a second, Kid closed his eyes. He needed to think, but he couldn't. He didn't want to. He didn't want to stand. He wanted to sleep. He felt a rush of cool air, a breeze. He didn't remember opening a window. Could it be the door?

_Liz…Patty… I need to talk to them. They were going to tell me something, something important. What was it again? I guess…it can't be too important if I can't remember…_

Kid greeted the darkness, the cold, the isolation. He welcomed the peace.

* * *

Elizabeth Thompson screamed. Her black tears made her face look like that of a clown. Her face didn't matter. But the glass, the glass mattered very much. And so did the blood. There was so much the glass seemed to float, bobbing up and down like a fishing tackle waiting to seize its prey.

"Kid!" she exclaimed frantically, racing to grasped the full-body mirror and pushed it back against the wall. "P-Patty. Patty! Call Shinigami-sama! Get a doctor! Now!" A scrambled of feet raced away amongst sobbing gasps.

_I'm sorry you had to see that Patricia. I'm sorry I wasn't here, Kid._

She was fingering her way through the blooded glass when Patty returned.

"They're coming. They're coming, big sis!" she squeaked. "Um, sis, what'cha doin'?"

"I need to get to Kid! But there's just so much God Damn glass I can't – I can't – I can't!" she wailed.

Staring at the floor, Liz could still see the blood and glass she cleaned up hours ago. She turned to Kid, her Meister, her friend…no, he was more than that. He'd become family, a little brother. Sound asleep. Was that an accurate description? Did Kid want to sleep? Was he dreaming? Was he having a nightmare? Is that what woke him up before, a nightmare? Had he freaked out when they weren't there? Did he...care?

Treading carefully to the door, remembering to leave it ajar, Liz left him to sleep. It was getting to her, the fact they hadn't fought or squabbled or shouted in days. He hadn't commented once, not once, on her and her sister's asymmetrical appearances. It was getting to her. Kid wasn't Kid. Would he ever be Kid again?

"He's still sleeping," Liz announced at a whisper, seating herself on the sofa next to a dosing Patty.

Stein sighed and flipped a book shut. He raised a hand and took hold of the screw-head sticking out of his brain. Suddenly, he lowered his hand. Liz raised a small smile, nodding, bidding her thanks. All of a sudden, she felt very exposed.

"Death went back to Shibusen," Stein informed, his voice, too, a whisper. "I told him there wasn't anything he could do here, worrying."

"Is there anything you can do?" Liz asked, crossing her fingers out of sight.

Heavily, Stein shook his head. "I don't know how to fix souls," he winced, as if declaring his defeat.

"Can't Shinigami-sama do that? Can't he do anything? Can't _we_ do anything?" Liz rose.

Patty snorted, waking with a jerk.

"Sorry, sis," Liz consoled.

Meekly, Patty yawned. "That's OK, sis," she snuffled, snuggled into the hug Liz offered.

"To answer your question, I really don't know." Stein raked a hand through his grey hair hurriedly as he groaned. "Death told me he knew how to break a soul, but not how to reform one."

"Wouldn't the Witch lady know?" Patty mewed as meekly as her yawn.

"Witch lady…" Liz repeated.

"You know, the one Kiddo fought," Patty elaborated, yawning as her eyes drooped to a close.

Liz raised her head. Her bright eyes met the glowing ones of Professor Franken Stein. He pushed up his glasses and smiled. Liz copied. On a second thought, she frowned.

"How?" she gasped. "How would we get her to cooperate?"

Stein's smile only grew. "Leave that to me," he insisted.

Uneasily, Liz gulped. "I'm glad you're on our side."

"So am I." He reached for his screw-head again, this time turning it. Once. Twice. Three times. It clicked into placed. It thundered, echoing like a bullet speeding from a gun.


	2. Chapter 2 - The Beginning of the End

**Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater.**

* * *

**THE BEGINNING OF THE END**

…SEVERAL WEEKS AGO…

It seemed so surreal, looking down upon Death City and the blanket of peace that coated the rooftops like freshly fallen snow.

_4 years and I'm still not used to it…_

"I'll never get tired of this view. What about you, Kiddo?"

Sighing deeply, his hands clasped together on the stormy grey balcony wall, Death the Kid allowed a smirk to curl across his lips.

"I'm still having a hard time believing its real, Maka."

"I know…time's just flown by. I wonder if it's the same for everyone else…"

Kid shook his head empathically. "I miss them, too."

"It was the right thing to do, wasn't it? I mean, I don't regret staying at Shibusen."

"Don't worry. You'll make a great teacher, Maka."

"Yeah…Marie's given me a lot of help, and Rex has been a great friend."

"…But," Kid keyed.

"But – But I miss the old days!" Maka caved, her face flushing with colour. "I don't have any regrets, but, I still miss the way things used to be, even though they were bad times. Is that wrong?"

Kid gazed at the dozing sun. "Don't worry, we'll see them again. Black Star can't train forever."

"I didn't think he was serious, but he went back to Japan…and Tsubaki went with him."

"I know. The peace feels strange, even now."

Maka nodded understandingly. "But, Soul…"

Kid stood, now a head taller than Maka, moving his hands to entomb them in his pants pockets. "I get why you're glum, Maka, but you achieved your dream. Soul's a Death Scythe. You should be proud. I'm sure your mother would be."

Smiling inwardly, Maka's eyes danced out of sight as they glistened. "Still, I wish he didn't have to go to Oceania so suddenly…Marie's a great teacher, don't get me wrong, but…"

"Soul can take care of himself, Maka. Don't worry. Don't make Rex worry."

Maka let out a laugh. "Rex's great, a talented weapon. But, he's not Soul, you know…"

As Kid passed the second semester star student of Shibusen, he rested a hand on her shoulder. Maka acknowledged his sincerity, covering his hand with her own. Briefly, Maka sniffed back her tears. Empowered, she released her grip and Kid copied, admiring the darkening sky.

"It's getting late," Maka noted. "We'll miss dinner at this rate. Rex is a great cook when he puts his mind to it. Are you, Liz and Patty still joining us?" Silence. "Uh…? Kid, is everything alright?"

"Something's not right." His eyes narrowed on the horizon. "Something's not right at all."

Following the young Shinigami's gaze, Maka raised her hand against the growing ball of distant light. "What an earth is –"

Their shouts echoed as the ground shook, shuddering in fear. Sprawled on the balcony titled floor, Kid scooped Maka to her feet, her face as pale as his.

Clutching his shoulders, Maka turned to face the horizon. "What…What was that?"

"I don't know," Kid denied. "But I'm sure we'll find out soon enough."

* * *

Out of sight and out of mind, another pair of eyes studied the horizon with an unparallel hunger. Darkness closed in overhead, casting shadows across the impersonal stone walls. Torches of the deepest red were lit by disembodied voices that chanted with menacing passion.

"Lord Havok," bowed a man, his face shrouded in shadow. "We're ready."

"Thank you, Raphael. We'll be along shortly."

Raphael dismissed himself, turning down one of the eerie illuminated endless corridors.

Inhaling, Havok exhaled his fear and rose from his throne. He trekked down the corridors himself, turning left and right without concern. Arriving at a lone, ceiling-high, dirty silver door, Havok rammed his knuckles against the cold metal. TANK, TANK, TANK.

Havok was too accustomed to the door opened unaided for it to faze him. He took five generous steps before falling on bended knee. "My Queen, Lord Raphael has assured me everything has been taken care of."

Strolling in from the balcony, high above, the incessant chatter of the Queen's blind children commanded her attention. She raised a limb as pale and as delicate at the Japanese spring blossoms. With a click of her fingers, silence rang like a church bell at a funeral. Her fingers shifted, inclining her servant to raise his head. Havok obeyed, meeting her large, insipid black eyes. They hid beneath curtains of hair stained blood red, streaked with the blackness of her soul.

She clicked her tongue. Havok stood at once, bowing his head as she passed, her velvet evergreen emerald dress trailing behind her. Mentally, Havok counted before he followed, fully aware of the doors creaking shut behind him.

The dungeon doors opened inwards sending a breath of air as stale as death wafting through the air. Collectively, the candles shuddered, but the torches beamed like miniature stars. Cowering in the centre of the expansive circular room was a tattered woman, her clothes torn, her hair an unruly mess, and her skin scarred with her own blood. She shivered and shook, her eyes widening with terror at every step her captors took. Closer and closer. She whimpered.

"Pl-Please…please. Please! I won't tell anyone, I swear!"

"A broken spirit…but a strong soul," the Queen hissed.

Havok and his Lords arched their heads forward, stepping sideways in sync.

"N-No. No. No! No, wait, please!" she begged, scrambling to her feet as the dungeon doors shut. She was yanked to the ground, her chains constricting round her flesh like the muscles of a ravenous boa constrictor coiling around their prey. "What do you want?!" she shrieked.

The Queen smiled, showing her duel pair of protruding fangs, as she knelt before the woman, tilting her chin towards the light as if she were inspecting live stock. "Your soul!"

"Your soul," the servants echoed like thunder. "Our soul. Our power. Your possession. Your sacrifice. Our salvation." Their words summoned the angelic lines of a glaring pentagram. Before the woman, the Queen cast her hands forth, her fingers stretching - snapping her bones - to encompass the woman's face. "Take this gift of mortal coil and consume your fill. Rise from your prison, awaken from your hell. We, the Lords of Chaos, give you the gift of freedom. We, the Lords of Chaos, grant you the power to kill!"

Endlessly, the woman screamed and shrieked, but nothing could dissuade their chant. Her life coured through her blood and up through the fingers of the sadistic Queen before her. The light from the floating pentagram blinded their eyes. Even the torches closed their eyes. The ground shook and the corridors ecoed with the crashing and shattering of glass. The Lords of Chaos fell on bended knee. Darkness had fallen, and out of the flames and ashes rose the Devil.


	3. Chapter 3 - A Journey into Vengeance

**Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater.**

* * *

**VENGEANCE**

Three Star Master Meister Maka Albarn stood at the steps of Shibusen, waiting. Her mind drifted without permission, returning her to the balcony of the night before. Anxiously, she exhaled, but her stress wouldn't dissipate.

She started at the hand that had crept onto her shoulder, turning to find a different person staring back at her. "Rex," she sighed, shifting his hand aside.

"Cheer up, Maka. Don't worry. He'll get here when he can."

_What if he doesn't want to come back?_ "I guess you're right…"

"I know I'm right. He can't ignore a direct order from Shinigami-sama, not if he's even as half as cool as you told me he'd be."

Despite his monotone expression, Rex's grey eyes watched the sky intently, his hands stuffed into his jacket pockets. It hadn't taken Maka long to learn he hid his clenched fists there. Standing perhaps an inch taller than Maka, nothing stuck out about this unassuming and average man.

"Thanks, Rex," Maka bid, smiling menially.

Nudging his partner with his shoulder, Rex winked, forcing Maka to suppress a grin and a chuckle.

Playfully, she elbowed him back. "Are you heading home?" she asked.

"I was thinking about it, but, I might as well stick around. I'd be bored, no matter where I go, so…"

"Thanks," Maka repeated, this time, with conviction.

"No problem," he shrugged "Uh…" Rex cleared his throat. "We should, er, probably get inside. Looks like the sky's gonna burst."

"Yes. Let's go find Kid. Maybe he can update us."

"I hope so…" Rex muttered, eyeing the distant flashes as the clouds crawled across the night sky.

* * *

Block by block, street after street, Lord Havok Prowler wandered aimlessly in his seemingly fruitless search.

"Hard to believe everything's changed so much," he murmured to himself. "But then this place never really felt like home…"

Ignorant of the cold, Havok turned another street corner, passing a sturdy lamp post. Its caged flame seemed to squirm in the darkness before dying in the face of the passing shadow. Under the cover of the New Moon, Havok's Queen stalked her faithful servant as he continuously cast his eyes down the various alleyways, and side streets, dotted amongst the tightly packed houses.

"Ah, here it is," Havok sighed, stopping at 14 ELM STREET. _Home sweet Hell_. He scoffed at the memory, ferreting in his pockets for his old key. _Who said the past doesn't come back to haunt us, huh?_ "Hmph...? My old man's changed the locks. Why would he do that…?"

Hesitant, Havok stood like a statue, arm raised to knock, until he wrapped his knuckles on the wood. He listened to the hallow echo and waited. He knocked again. _Maybe this was a mistake..._ A dim light flickered into life on the second floor, left-hand-side window, followed by a second light on the right. Gradually, a pair of feet crept towards the door. A face older than memory stared back at him through the frame he parted. "H-Havok…?"

"Dad," he nodded awkwardly. "Mind if I come in for a moment?"

Havok's father unbolted the ball-and-chain lock and flung the door open. Havok slipped inside and turned back to face his father. Life had been kind. But before he could voice the compliment, a pair of strong arms swept him into a nostalgic embrace. Havok returned the favour. The living room clock dragged its hands lethargically as if complaining for the untimely interruption.

"Havok…wh-what are you doing here? It's been 4 years!"

"I know, dad. I know. When I left, I told you I was going to do something with my life, something great. And I have! I wanted you to come see my work for yourself, to meet my friends and –"

"Talon, who's at the door?"

"Oh, God! Malcolm. Malcolm! You won't believe this. It's Havok!" the old man rejoiced, racing to greet his friend descending the stairs. "Havok, you remember my old Meister, Malcolm, right?"

"Of course I remember uncle Marco!"

"Havok! Where on Earth have you been?" Malcolm greeted, hobbling over to greet his unofficial nephew, his tired face exploding into a rejuvenating grin.

"Everywhere! I've got loads to tell you, and even more to show you," Havok celebrated.

"Havok, you're timing isn't the best," Malcolm scowled painfully, leaning against the staircase banister.

"I know it was whimsical to just show up out of nowhere, but –"

"Havok, you don't understand," his father interrupted, his face as grave as his voice. "It may not look like it, but the world's tumbling into chaos!"

"Yes! Exactly! That's what I wanted to talk to you about!"

"Havok, I don't follow," Talon admitted, pacing back to his son's side.

"Dad, I'm one of the Five Lords of Chaos!"

Malcolm stretched, gripping his partner's shoulder tightly. "Talon –"

"Now's not the time for jokes, Havok. This is serious."

"I am being serious, dad. My friends and I, we found the Shadow Queen! We resurrected her. We freed her!"

Talon clamped his son by his shoulders. "Tell me you didn't," he begged. "Please. Please tell me you didn't fall for her Witchcraft!"

"You – I – I did this for you!" Havok raged, rattling the shelves. Several dishes clattered to the floor; the walls seemed to shift, and photo frames committed suicide, shattering on impact.

"Havok, listen to me," Talon pleaded, taking his son's face in his hands. "We can fix this. Tell us everything and we can fix it!"

"I don't want to fix it!" he yelled, slapping his hands aside. "I love my job. I love my Queen! And…and so should you!"

Talon and Malcolm turned at the flickering hall light, their paranoia coursing through the blood and consuming the minds. They turned back to find a pair of deathly pale arms coiling around their guest's waist. Her flesh seemed to melt, decomposing into the shadows from whence she came. Havok glared accusingly at his hosts, his eyes blackening.

"We can't let them live, Havok," she hissed, whispering in his ear.

"I know."

"Havok –"

"You know what you have to do."

"Havok, don't listen to -"

A single punch left Malcolm sprawled on the carpet, chocking on his own blood. "Even you're against me?!"

Talon countered, kicking his son back against the wall, his feet crushing the fallen glass. "Listen to us, Havok. We don't want to hurt you," he heaved, shielding the blades that ejected from his flesh.

Havok's laugh was manic. It graduated, escalating in sound as he stood. "Hurt me? You made my life a living hell!" He panted, wiping, licking the blood from his jaw and savouring the taste. "So, I think it's only fair to share the nightmare," he snarled.

Striding forth, stretching an arm back, grasping a handful of shadow, Havok held his Queen. The hall light flickered frantically, suddenly rocking left and right before it toppled over. Darkness entombed the two floored terrace house the instant the bulb smashed. Overhead, the sky grumbled. Havok opened the door to a brilliant flash of light, illuminating a trampled and blood stained lamp shade. His silhouette briefly outlined the smoking scythe he held over his shoulder. Clapping, the Heavens congratulated Havok on his sacrifice as tears of joy rained down from the sky.

"I never had much of a family, anyway..."

* * *

"I wished you'd told me this sooner, Mabaa," Shinigami-sama glared, his back facing his mirror. "It was this kind of secrecy that brought us to odds in the first place. If I had known sooner –"

"I minimised her power. That fact remains true to this day, Reaper," the wretched hag snapped.

"But for how long? If it was stolen from you, who's to say she won't steal it from the thief?"

"That's highly unlikely. The thief, the Man with the Demon Eye, he's the last of the Immortal Werewolf Clan."

"Yet, he got the best of you," Shinigami-sama attacked back. "Immortal or not, innocent or guilty, he's in danger and so are we if she learns his whereabouts."

"I have Witches scouring the planet as we speak, but I don't know how long they'll remain submissive. They're asking questions I can't answer."

"Just focus on finding the Werewolf. I'll take care of the Queen."

"Just like last time? You know what she'll come after first, don't you? Are you prepared for that?"

Shinigami-sama sighed off, frowning as sweat glistened on the brow of his mask. Grumbling incoherently, it wasn't a surprise he hadn't heard his mirror ring.

"Er, Shinigami-sama?"

"Eh?" Rounding on the mirror, his eyes beamed. "Ah, Soul! Whatssup?"

Displaying his usually toothy grin, Soul Eater smiled back at his new Meister. "Black Star was able to confirm your suspicions and everything. He should be on his way to Shibusen now."

"Wonderful. And you contacted the others, I hope? I'd very much like to talk to all the Death Scythes at once. Although, Justin's going to be a bit of a problem…"

"That's why I called."

"Um? Oh, everyone knows what Justin's like, Soul. Don't worry."

"No, not that!" _How does Spirit put up with him?_ "No, one of your Death Scythes, Talon Prowler, he didn't respond to his summon, and no one was able to contact his old Meister, Malcolm Vincent."

"Ah, but you found them, didn't you? Such a smart... Um? Soul, what's wrong?"

Soul lowered his head, his hands stuffed inside his jacket pockets. "They were both found in Talon's apartment. They'd been dead for some time..."

The silence was intense.

"Were their souls missing?"

"Huh? Er, yeah, they were gone. Why?"

_Why make such a reckless move…?_ "I have an idea on who the killer might be, but I'll need as much evidence as possible to prove my theory. Can you take charge of the investigation?"

"Cool. I'll call back when we have something."

"Excellent!" Shinigami-sama waved, signing off. _What are you up to? What are you planning?_

* * *

Studying the printed words of his predecessors, Death the Kid was startled by the flash of lightning and the bellow of thunder that accompanied it. Sighing, he shakily rubbed his chest, trying to calm his own storm.

_Ever since that…can I call it an explosion? Something's broken free, no doubt about it. But, can it be contained...?_

Kid sat back in his chair, rounding his eyes on his sleeping comrades. Even Maka had fallen asleep, and the thunder was too distant to wake them. Nevertheless, Shibusen's library had proven itself useless, perhaps for the first time in history.

_It's only useless because I don't know what I'm looking for._

Instead of angling his head uncomfortably, Kid turned and faced the numberless clock head on. _01:30_. The rain had proven to be merciless, parading in its endless shower of Heaven swept tears. There had been no sign of a storm, nor was there any sign of the weather clearing up.

"Weather…a natural phenomenon," Kid noted. "And an earthquake, another natural phenomenon." Inspired, Kid searched his symmetrically stacked piles of books for a likely candidate. Running his finger down their spines, a cold shiver ran down his own.

Raising his head as he removed a drab and dull tan volume, a flash of light revealed a hidden figure. As Kid stared into the darkness, narrowing his eyes, a shadow shifted through his line of sight. Rising from his chair, Kid abandoned his books to investigate his ghost. But something urged him to ignore the phantom. Gradually, Kid's fingers fell from the back of the chair a dozing Elizabeth occupied. His footsteps echoed ominously, rebounding off the walls that seemed to soar to the sky. Eyes locked, gazing down the endless aisles separated by the towering shelves, a faint glow rounded a corner. Casting an eye back to the snoring table, Kid rubbed his aching chest again.

"I'm tired. I'm seeing things," he rationalised, nursing his head as he tread back to his seat, collapsing into the chair. "I'll just close my eyes…just for a few minutes…"

A dark and heavy cascading hissing whisper, the remnants of a dying cackle, rang in Kid's ears. But it wasn't the only thing ringing.

"Yoo-hoo! Kiddo!"

"Uh…? Father?"

"Sorry to disturb you son, (you look so cute when you sleep), but could you have everyone meet me in the Death Room? It's very important."

"Sure, father," Kid replied, stifling a yawn. "We'll be up in a minute."

For a moment, Kid hung between fantasy and reality, gazing down a pass less travelled. The shelves hadn't moved, but the clock hands had. 03:33...? _Was it a dream? A hallucination…? Tck, get a grip Kid. _But, tapping his colleagues, awaking them from slumber, it occurred to Kid they weren't the only ones awake. They weren't the only ones with dreams. Absent mindedly, he rubbed his aching chest as the shadows danced in the dying candle light.


	4. Chapter 4 - Heartbreak

**Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater.**

* * *

**HEARTBREAK**

Not even the Death Room had escaped the gloom that hung over Shibusen, like the stench of a decaying corpse. The once baby blue sky had taken on a foreboding and mournful grey. Even the clouds seem to frown, and Death the Kid couldn't place it, but something about his father felt off. It annoyed him, aggravating his sixth sense.

"Ah, looks like we're all here," Shinigami-sama beamed, looking round the stage.

Beside the weary Reaper stood a handsome mirror displaying three unique figures; standing with his hands wedged firmly into his jacket pockets, Soul looked as impervious as ever, cool and calm in the face of danger. A young man, with blue spiked hair, stood behind Soul. His face was darker than memory, and his eyes were as sharp as his loyal weapon and friend. Tsubaki stood behind him, her complexion ghostly compared to the man's tanned flesh that sported a Black Star tattoo.

Their eyes met those of Maka. Her smile had erased near all evidence of the bags lurking underneath her sockets. Rex seemed to stand half slumped at Maka's right, but her father towered above her on her left. The glasses of Shibusen Professor Franken Stein gleamed next to his old partner and…research assistant. Cross armed, Sid Barrett had his back angled to his partner, Mira Nygus; their shoulders met, pointing like an arrowhead towards the Reaper. She, too, had her arms crossed. Their energy was inspirational. Stationed motionless to their left, Kid stood between his partners, Elizabeth and Patricia.

_Quite the team…_ Kid thought to himself. _But, will it be enough…?_

"I'm sure you're aware of the recent incidents," Shinigami-sama began, his eyes narrowing; he looked like a detective skimming the library of knowledge encased inside his mind. "A Witch has escaped the Wasteland."

Kid's heart rocketed to his throat. He couldn't speak. He couldn't breathe.

"I didn't think that was possible," Professor Stein drawled, his voice poisoned with suspicion and armed with curiosity as he turned his screw head thrice. "Was the barrier broken?"

"It was completely shattered," Shinigami-sama confirmed. "But we'll return to the _how_ later. Right now, the _who_ is much more important." He continued gravely. "The Witch that escaped is most commonly known as the Shadow Queen."

"Ah, Shadow, Queen of Vampyres," Sid Barrett recollected. "I thought she was dead."

Wearily, Shinigami-sama shook his head. "She was defeated, not destroyed."

Kid took a hesitant step forward. "Father, have you been able to determine how she escaped?"

"Ah," he rose, his spirit rising with him, "luckily, yes, we have. But…not in the way I hoped," he denied, lowering and shaking his head once again. "The night before last, we lost a Death Scythe."

The uproar was deafening. Instantaneously, it escalated.

"About that, Shinigami-sama," Soul addressed. "We were able to confirm your suspicions."

"Suspicions?" Kid echoed.

His father nodded. "Unfortunately, for reasons still unclear to us, Death Scythe Talon Prowler and his former Meister, Malcolm Vincent, were attacked and killed in their apartment two nights ago."

"But," Soul added, "the blood from Havok Prowler, son of Talon an –"

"Havok was at the scene?!" Spirit jumped.

"Er, his blood was." He pulled out a crumpled and hurriedly folded piece of paper. "Analysis confirmed it was fresh and had been heavily contaminated by an unknown organic compound."

"Hasn't Havok been missing for the past four years?" Mira narrowed. "Wasn't he even considered dead at one point?" she furthered.

Spirit nodded, gripping his fists. Out of the corner of his eye, Stein studied his friend as he pushed his glasses up his nose. "Does this mean his soul's devolved and he's been working for the Shadow Queen all this time?"

Twisting his head to the side, Patricia suppressed a giggle at Kid's glare. Elizabeth raised a finger to her lips. Patricia copied her twin smugly. "Why would you say that?" Shinigami-sama asked.

"Huh? I thought Havok was human. He – He was never enrolled into Shibusen."

"He couldn't have done all that alone if he was human," Black Star butted in, making Soul smirk, brandishing a set of serrated teeth. "I mean, the bookshelf was cleaved in two. Personally, I say it looks something like the Fen Blade…"

Tsubaki raised a hand to her Meister's shoulder. As he folded his arms, she nodded in ernest agreement. "The atmosphere's energy was all wrong, Shinigami-sama. It was suffocating."

"You're not wrong," Shinigami-sama praised. "But the Shadow Queen is far more powerful than the Fen Blade. She's notoriously believed to be the first to master Soul Possession and to use her shadow as an extension of herself. It's this ability that has enabled her to create perfectly functional clones."

"Clones…" Stein repeated at a gasp, his voice shuddering.

"And like the Fen Blade," Shinigami-sama continued, "the Shadow Queen's primary form is that of a weapon, a scythe to be precise."

"The first Death Scythe, to be historically accurate," Kid advanced.

Like a broken record, his father nodded. "Correct, Kiddo. The Shadow Queen was one of the Eight Mighty Warriors that fought during the Grim Times. Unfortunately, she was swallowed by Asura in his attempt to consume human souls. Her…extractation proved to be provocatively problematic."

"How was she contained?" Maka asked.

"I couldn't even beginning to guess!" Shinigami-sama denied. "The High Witch Mabaa took care of her containment, imprisoning her within her own decaying madness…" Lost in thought, he paused, raising a white gloved hand to cough and clear his throat. "Now, if I could have a moment alone with my son, Maka, Black Star and their respective weapons…"

* * *

Spirit gazed out into the desert, his eyes hovering over the trampled remains of the sun as it tried to tear through the clouds cloaking the horizon. He heaved a heavy sigh and inhaled, only to choke on smoke.

"Oh, Stein," he groaned, spluttering between his coughs.

"Weren't you the one who told me not to lie to pretty young girls?" he asked, rotating his screw.

"Egh, you need sleep, Stein. You're not making any sense."

"You're a terrible lair, Sempi... What aren't you telling me? What are you hiding?"

"What makes you think I'm hiding anything?" Spirit grimaced, shovelling his hands into his pants pockets. "It's not like you to fumble in the dark, Stein."

"You know Talon, don't you?"

"He's a Death Scythe! Of course I know him!" he raged.

"It's more than that, isn't it?"

"...Some things are best left alone, Stein," Spirit finally defended, stalking past his old Meister.

"Things have changed," he countered effortlessly. "Havok's changed. Wouldn't you agree?"

Stopping dead in his tracks, Spirit rowed on the sadistic scientist. "You knew Havok?!"

"Observation is my greatest asset." He paused, savouring the moment, twisting his screw head once again. CLLLIIICK. CLLLIIICK. CLLLIIICK! "So, care to share stories?"

His head drooping, as if weighed down by his soul, Spirit caved. _Better to tell him now then let him do his own...research._ "I – I knew his mother."

Stein dropped the cigarette he didn't remember lighting.

* * *

"I really don't understand you, Maka," Elizabeth yawned.

"I'm just too wired to sleep, Liz! Besides, I need to tidy the apartment. I'm not letting Soul, or anyone for that matter, sleep on the sofa. Well, Blair's an exception…she's a cat, after all."

"Sofas can be comfy, sis," Patricia beamed.

"I know they can, Patty," Liz humoured. _Where she gets the energy I'll never know…_

"Don't read into it so much," Rex groaned. "Maka's just a neat freak, that's all." He dodged her famous Maka Chop. _Does she hide the book in her coat…? _"I don't know about you, but my bed's calling to me."

"I wish Kid would take a page out of your book," Liz groaned. "I swear he hasn't left that library in days. All he does is work!"

"Just be thankful he's not reorganising the damn thing," Maka laughed.

However contagious the joke, the laughter aged faster than a cheetah could run. Moaning, cursing under her breath, Liz stormed back down the hall. Patty skipped along at her heels as Maka descended the stairs smiling. Rex trailed behind her.

* * *

"Don't they make a great team?" Maka sighed.

"Supposed so," Rex shrugged, smirking.

"What?"

"Just wondering how you're gonna handle two weapons."

"I'll see how it goes with Soul first, Rex. It's been a while, and I'm a bit out of practise. Well just go from there."

"– greatest asset…"

"Huh? Who's that?"

"Sounds like Stein, I think."

"Ah, great! I can ask him for some advice on duel weapon wielding!" Maka exclaimed with glee, rounding the corner with a spring in her step.

* * *

_What had I expected? Nothing like this! Still, this is Spirit I'm dissecting…_ "You knew Havok's mother..." he repeated, crediting his resourcefulness. "Have you told Maka?"

"I know how it must sound, Stein, but don't let your mind – however brilliant it may be – jump to conclusions," Spirit scolded tersely. "But, yes, I knew…and loved Havok's mother."

Rex didn't hesitate to clasp a hand over his Meister's mouth. Maka slapped it aside as they melded into the wall, listening intently.

"You're going to have to be clearer than that, Spirit."

Opening his mouth to argue, Spirit growled. "I can't believe I fell for that!"

"A lot of people do. Don't think yourself special," Stein bypassed, lighting a cigarette.

Leaning against the balcony railing, Sprit confessed. "I guess there's no harm telling you. But, you have to keep it a secret. Soul knows now, and maybe even Black Star and Tsubaki. If I'm gonna protect Maka…I'll need your help."

_I can take care of myself just fine, you pervert! _

"What are you protecting her from, exactly?"

"Her mother, Stein. Her mother."

Rex repeated his offence, silencing his Meister once more.

"Kami…? What –"

"Long story short, Kami didn't want to stay in Death City. When I told her I wouldn't drag Maka around the world for her, things just fell apart. Kami would take more missions, longer missions. Before I knew it, she had a new partner: Talon."

Stein pushed his glasses up his nose, the sun's suffocated rays bouncing off them into oblivion. "So Kami and Talon…"

Miserably, Spirit nodded. "Havok is Maka's half brother, Stein, her _baby_ brother!"

Regrettably, Rex couldn't muffle his Meister's wail. "Maka!" he cried, reaching for the fleeing and sobbing child.

His voice echoed, intensified by a familiar shout. Spirit tore down the hall as a hand grasped Rex's shoulder. The dim hallway light made it impossible for the Weapon to see through the sheets of ice clouding the eyes of Shibusen's most trusted Professor.

"This is something they need to work out on their own, Rex. Go home."

Crouched on his knees, Rex rose to his feet. "If it's all the same to you, Professor, I'd like to stay." His eyes sparked, like a light bulb blazing. "Besides, Maka wanted...me to ask you something…."


	5. Chapter 5 - Strike One

**Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater.**

* * *

**CHAPTER 5: STRIKE ONE**

Spirit Albarn's stomach churned with years of bottled up guilt and regret. Bracing his hands on his knees as he bent over the gutter, Spirit tossed his head back and forth along the desolate street as he tried to catch his breath. Shibusen stood proudly in the distance, its candles extinguished. Only the moon's low cackles kept Spirit company.

_Think, Spirit, think. She wasn't at school, her apartment was empty, there wasn't anyone at the basketball court; her favourite café and bookstore are closed… Did I miss her? No. No! I'm just not thinking hard enough. Somewhere calm, peaceful, familiar, reassuring – Of course!_

Snapping his fingers at the thought, Spirit raced back down the hill. His chest hammered against his rib cage, his empty stomach performed lopsided back flips, his clothes clung to his flesh, and sparks of agony shot down his calves. But Spirit's mind was elsewhere. He couldn't care less about himself. Screeching to a halt under the luminous glow of a broken street lamp, Spirit eyed a stranded silhouette amongst the thorn bushes and whispering chains.

Her eyes were too tired to cry, her eyelids threatened to collapse as she stared at the soft bark hovering beneath her feet. Suddenly, a familiar shadow slid into view. Maka didn't possess the energy to run.

"Go away," she sniffed, her fists clutching the chains strung up either side of her.

Cautiously, the shadow shifted. A pair of shoes as dark of night slipped by to reappear by her side, and there they remained. Spirit watched his daughter bow her head and turn her eyes aside, her cheeks and eyes red raw.

_Do I disgust her that much…? _Breathing shakily, he clasped his own chains and embraced the past. "I thought you'd have forgotten about this place by now…just like I thought I'd forget about Kami…"

Albeit reluctantly, Maka raised her head. "I thought you loved mama…" she drawled.

"I do, Maka," he reinforced. "That's why I didn't tell you."

Maka scowled. "If you _loved_ me, you would have told me!"

"You – You already hated me, Maka," Spirit replied, his voice harsh in its softness. "But you loved your mother. I couldn't ruin that."

"But you did! She left because of you!" Maka howled, suffocating her chains. Their rattles echoed around the deserted park like the screeches of prisoners awaiting their execution.

"That's right." His grip slackened on his chains.

Maka's eyes widened in terror. _H-He…He didn't deny it…? I wasn't expecting an answer, let alone a confession!_

"Kami wanted to travel…" Spirit began. "I didn't. She wanted to take you with her…but I wouldn't let her." Although unaware, Maka had required the strength to face her father. "I won't make excuses, Maka, but when she was away on missions, I got lonely. It was stupid. I know it hurt you. But, at the same time, Kami…was doing the same. I wasn't good enough for her anymore…"

"P-Papa…" Maka stuttered tentatively.

"She'd always been a free spirit," he continued, laughing mockingly as he sobbed, holding his head in his hands, his elbows braced on his shaking knees. "She was always so strong and smart, I didn't want to think that – that she – but she told me everything, how happy she was with Talon, how she hated me for suffocating her!"

"Papa –"

"But when she…When she left, to live with Talon, I didn't want her to take you!" he confessed, shaking his head furiously. "Her missions were dangerous! I don't know what she was thinking, taking you along – if you'd gotten injured – if you'd died –"

"Papa!"

Spirit froze. He dropped his hands, his head still hanging like that of a dead man. The silence hung, immobile, like the coiling chains Maka clutched. "I – I'm sorry I hurt you, Maka," he reformed, shattering the tension as he stood suddenly, stowing his hands into his pockets. "I suspect Rex's worried about you. It's, er, probably best if you, er, go home…"

Deflated, defeated, Spirit stalked away into the night. Yanked back, he examined the limb wrapped around his arm. Following it back to a face, he stared in disbelief. Maka had abandoned the swing from her childhood, the chains jiggling like silver bells. A stray tear rolled into view. Spirit turned, raising a grateful smile and a hand, he hooked the pad of his thumb under her bag ridden eye socket. Her bottom lip trembled. With a cry, Maka flung her arms around her father, all but knocking him off his feet. Shedding his own tears, Spirit hugged his daughter.

"Hate me all you like, Maka, but I'll always be there for you," he promised. "_Always_."

* * *

The fruitless orchard promised privacy, its endless array of arms and gloved covered hands stretching to the Heavens, pinning the sun to the glamorous, cloudless sky. Lying betwixt the daisies and daffodils, Maka bathed in the sun's divine rays as she entertained her innermost thoughts. However sceptical she was, Maka understood logic; there was only one reason her eyes were still swollen. Nevertheless, she stowed her compact mirror in the trench coat she'd sprawled herself across before returning her gaze skyward.

It had been days, weeks even, since any of Death City had laid eyes on the blue sky lurking behind the grey concrete. Beside her, with a foot lolling off his left knee, Soul basked in the peace. His piercing red eyes had closed in favour of recollecting fond memories.

"Hey, Soul…are you sure you're cool with it, keeping it a secret and all?"

Inclining his head back, raising his body like that of a crab, Soul cast an upside down toothy grin in his Meister's direction. He looked remarkably uncomfortable, but Maka had the composure not to belittle him. The smirk he produced seemed to satisfy the Death Scythe, and he crashed back to Earth.

"You're something else, you know that…" he sighed. "But," he heaved, "the way I see it, everyone who needs to know knows. Shinigami-sama knows. I leave it in his hands."

Winking under the sun, Maka shared his lazy smile. "Thanks, Soul." _He sure brings back memories… _

"Glad to see you've been taken care of though."

"Yeah, Rex has been a great friend. I'm glad you got along so well this morning at breakfast. I kinda feel bad about what Stein told him, though…"

"Don't worry. He'll get his time to shine," Soul assured. "Besides, he'll still be your partner after this mission. I'm just…borrowing you for a while."

"Be careful with what you say, Soul," Maka teased. "A woman could get the idea you're jealous."

* * *

"Who's jealous?!"

"Speak of the Devil…" Soul moaned.

"Black Star! Tsubaki!" Maka cried, jumping to her feet and sprinting to encase her friends in her arms. "It's so great to see you!"

Slinking out of her grasp, Black Star scrubbed his cheeks free of colour. "I knew you missed basking and worshiping your favourite God!" he declared, slamming his fists against his hips.

"Er, Black Star, we talked about this," Tsubaki prompted.

"He's cool," Soul shrugged, hi-fiving his friend. "Great to be back, huh, bro?" he asked as he rubbed excess grass from his jacket.

"You know it, bro!"

"Am I interrupting anything?"

"Kiddo!" Black Star roared, slapping the young Shinigami's back. "How's my fellow God doing?" _Huh...? What's that noise...? No. Don't get distracted._

"Never better," Kid replied, cracking his spine back into place.

"Huh, he's still as obnoxious and reckless as I remember," Liz scoffed. "My heart goes out to you, Tsubaki."

"Oh, no, Black Star's been amazing," she retorted, her voice as angelic as ever.

"That's right! One more soul, and Tsubaki will be my Goddess!" _There it is again! It sounds like a...like a phone...?_

"Doesn't he mean Kiddo's Goddess?"

"Let him have his moment, Patty," Liz humoured, speaking aside to her childish sister.

"What are you talking about?" Kid inquired. "I already have the best Death Weapons a Shinigami can ask for."

"Huh…Oh, thanks, Kid…" Liz blushed, biting her lip and fidgeting nervously as she twirled her long, blonde hair.

"We love you, Kiddo!" Patty clapped, beaming at her Meister.

"That aside, congratulations," Kid offered.

"Yes, well done," Maka applauded.

"Just be careful," Soul warned. "You don't know what you're giving up and what you're gaining." Black Star glared. "What? Don't look at me like that! It's creepy…"

"Hum? Oh, no, I wasn't staring at you. I've just been hearing this strange ringing for a while…"

"Ah, that's probably Father," Kid cleared.

"Good hearing!" Patty praised.

As he contorted his hands, Kid formed several deep violet circles in midair. Gradually, a mirror screen bled into view.

"Ah, Kid, glad I reached you. And you're with your friends, even better!"

"What's happened?" Kid refocused.

"Havok has been sighted."

"What?" Maka gasped. "Where?!"

"He and several unidentified characters have somehow gained access to the Witch Realm. They're slaughtering Witches as we speak."

* * *

Their torches blazed with the heat of a thousand suns. Amongst the crowd of floating caldrons and crooked pointed hats, they slammed their broomstick shafts against the prune-coloured concrete. They chanted, voicing their outrage, but five hooded figures stood motionless amidst the thicket of darkness. Silence fell as a set of heavy, gothic doors crept opened. Instinctively, they raised their cloaks against the blinding light even a thousand suns couldn't outshine. Gradually, the light dimmed and the suns dawned over their newest enemy.

"Mabaa! Come out and face us!"

"That's right! We're sick and tired of being your slaves!"

"You can't hide the truth any longer!"

"Truth...? You want the truth?" an ominous voice echoed. "I'll tell you the truth. A truth blind to all you incompetent fools!" Despite their uproar, all it took was a breath of fresh air to extinguish their fire. Silence entombed the Witch Realm once more. "The truth that you insects ignored; the truth that the Gorgon sisters embraced and gave their lives for: the Wasteland...has been breached." Accompanying the voice were a clanking set of thundering footsteps pacing forward. "Tell me, I dare you: who spies the fear inside my soul as paranoia now?!"

Amongst the crowd, a dainty dot of white flesh slowly floated into the air. Swiftly, the masses shuffled aside, whispering amongst themselves.

"Show yourself," Mabaa ordered.

With one hand still high above their head, a second set of fingers snaked forth to remove their hood. However, their face remained shielded between the long, thick strands of a dying rainbow.

"Isabella..." Mabaa hissed. "What outrageous declaration do you have for me, today?"

"Isabella isn't here right now," hissed an equally demonic reply.

Before a reaction could be observed, the raised appendage of white flesh flicked and twisted itself, cracking its wrist. The torches were relit with burning blood. Screams of fear and shrieks of terror filled the air. Clattering to the ground, the torches spilled their endless pools of deadly red flames. They engulfed everything in their path. Isabella dutifully breathed in and expelled the ashes of her disowned sisters. From the depth of Hell, a shadow took form, its limbs bleeding from young Isabella's eyes, mouth and nose. The multicoloured waves of ashen souls swiftly solidified.

Clad in black, four armed combatants raced through the carnage to the closing doors, lavishing the thrill of running through their fire. Unscathed, they held onto time itself. Falling to her knees, Isabella kissed the concrete.

"I live to serve you, my Queen!" she breathed.

Inclining her head, her soulless eyes bright with lively hunger, the Shadow Queen raised her blossomed hands. Lazily, she waved her nemesis forth, dragging her through the doors into the evolving bleakness of Death.

"I'm home, Aunt Mabaa. Did you miss me?"

* * *

Expelled through the violet portal like a child would throw a rag doll, Death the Kid gave no noticed to the crumpled heap of bodies behind him. He watched the sea of the foaming beast separating him from five silhouettes. His chest constricted as his friends found their respective feet. One by one, they joined him.

"Huh…? I though only Havok was working with the Shadow Queen…"

"Looks like he brought his mates. Hmph. Don't worry, Maka," Soul reassured. "We'll get 'em."

"Five against seven," Kid gazed. "I don't like our odds. It's so asymmetrical…"

"I don't think now's the time to concern yourself with symmetry, Kid," Elizabeth scowled.

"I'll bore you with the details later," he retorted.

"Roger!" Patty cheered, transforming into a pistol.

"Thank your father for small miracles," Liz breathed, copying her sister.

"I agree with Kid," Black Star scowled. "I don't like our odds… Something feels off. Tsubaki!"

Instantly, Tsubaki transformed into a Kusari-gama. "Odds don't win a battle, Black Star."

"We don't have to fight."

Soul grabbed his Meister's arm. "Maka, don't."

_Havok…!_ "What do you want?" she asked, shaking Soul off as she stepped forward towards the edge of her fear.

"Freedom…a family…a future," Havok replied, his passion clearly prominent.

"Maybe we should listen to him."

"Maka, he killed his father!" Kid raged.

"We can just talk! Don't you want to avoid any more bloodshed?"

"Sometimes blood is the price you pay for peace."

"Spoken like a true Shinigami." Havok chuckled, hunching his shoulders. "I bet your father's proud."

"Shut up! You have no right to talk about my father!" Kid aimed his pistols, his pinkies clutching the triggers. "You've annihilated the Witches, murdered a Three Star Meister, and a Death Scythe in cold blood. If you and your co-conspirators refuse to come quietly, we will have no choice but to take your souls!"

Havok released an invigorated sigh. "Thank goodness. I was beginning to think Shibusen had gotten soft." He stretched, raising his arms and folded them behind his head. "But, I guess it's only fair to give you an opportunity to surrender and walk away."

"Let's shut this guy up, huh?" Black Star fumed.

"I conquer. He disgusts me," Kid agreed.

"Hmph. Have it your way," Havok snapped. "Alistair! Xavier"

From either side of their line of triumph, a solid silhouette jetted into action, hopping across the hot coals of the ever expanding flaming sea. Kid open fired. They dodged effortlessly. Black Star charged to increase the heat as the smell of burnt leather forced Kid to redraw from the fires of hell.

"Speed Star!" he roared, dashing back and forth across the flames.

Striking at full strength, Black Star's target faded into a familiar light and flew into the second silhouette's hands. The light carved a thick, clouded silver blade and a mighty staff of dishevelled grey, forming a proud battleaxe.

"Uh? A Demon Weapon?!" Black Star fired.

"Maka!" Soul cried.

Maka was already speeding back to her partner, but the battleaxe and his Meister had other plans.

"Resonance of Revenge!" the Meister roared, his voice full of youthful abandon. Wielding his axe as a hammer, he smashed the blade into the concrete, and watched the beauty unfold.

Black Star had escaped to solid ground, his skin reddened where the melted coal had spat in his face. Building up speed, he sprinted up and along the circling wall as the ground snapped as easily as one would tear a piece of sodden paper. The cavern that blasted itself into life, and swallowed the fiery lava, shot its first breath towards the closest wall. It raced Black Star up the side, dislodging chunks and shooting boulders several times the size of a fully grown man into the air. Eyeing the sky, Maka slid to a standstill, threw her arms over her head and screwed her eyes shut. Soul encompassed his Meister with his body, ejecting blades across his back, slicing the boulders Black Star – who turned Tsubaki into a Katana – couldn't reach.

"Soul…"

"You ready, partner?" he asked with baited breath.

Maka unleashed a determined smile, accepting his hand. He pulled Maka to her feet and immediately melded into a Death Scythe.

"Raphael," Havok instructed.

Grinning menacingly, Raphael's arms and back glowed like the fire sprawled before them. Two complexly intricate devices entombed his arms. A backpack emerged behind him, humming in sync with his heartbeat. Shooting his hands into the flames, they reappeared with two egg-sided fireballs. He shot them directly at a speeding Black Star. He skidded to a halt, sliding down the wall until he regained his momentum, redirecting his charge at Raphael.

"Oh, you're _so_ dead!"

* * *

"I – I can't shoot them!"

"Yes you can, Kid!" Liz replied in earnest.

"No! Our bullets – they just phase right through their bodies! It's like they're not human at all! They're not solid! They're – They're shadows!"

The battleaxe was spun arrogantly, his Meister using it as a shield against his emotionally compromised attacker. He pushed a pair of thin, black glasses up his nose, the fire light reflecting a familiar glare Kid wanted to avoid. Maka's scream turned heads. Soul crashed to the concrete as Black Star dodged a fireball.

"Maka!" Kid roared, abandoning the battleaxe and his uninterested Meister. They were strolling back to a lone silhouette. _So we have an audience after all…_

"I can't wield Soul!" she sobbed. "He – He's burning me!" Truth be told, her white gloves were charred and steam rose from the blistering skin underneath. "Our souls aren't compatible anymore!"

"And now…it's our turn," Havok sneered. "Be prepared, Isabella." Strongly, she nodded her head.

"That didn't stop us before!" Soul summoned, obviously to the plot unfolding before his eyes. "Remember what we accomplished together? Don't give up. Try again!"

Grinding his teeth, Havok used his left arm to reach behind him and withdrew a smoking black scythe from his back. With the step he took he streamed through the air, blasting across the cavern and parting the flames like Moses parted the Red Sea.

"Maka, hurry!" Soul roared.

"It hurts!" she wept, straining under the weight as she raised her weapon off the ground. It hovered in her hands for a second before blood began to trickle from the holes in her flesh. Soul fell back to the Earth.

"Liz! Patty!"

"Roger!" they synced. "Resonance of Souls!"

The Thompson sister expanded in size, swallowing Kid's arms, forming their Death Cannons.

"Noise interference at 0.8%," Liz informed.

"Death Needles charging," Patty added.

Soul reformed and dived over his Meister to race towards his sprinting attacker. Unleashing his blades proved ineffective, finding they drove straight through Havok's surreal and smoking body.

"What that – "

Dodging a scythe slice freed Soul from the fires of battle, but pushed him into the flames of hell.

"SOUL!" Maka yelled, his screams piercing her heart harder and deeper than any blade ever could.

Wielding his scythe like a foam baseball bat, Havok's eyes shone with a malevolent glint. It told Maka all trace of the human within had been devoured…and destroyed. Refocusing, his scythe seemed to swing in slow motion. The wall at her back, the boulders to her left, her brother at the front – Maka darted right. A familiar scream rang in her head, but she couldn't place the voice. Havok swung his Death Scythe, and as Maka Albarn's life flashed before her eyes, she caught a glimpse of a single blinding ball of light.

_It's that...a star? No, not a star… A soul. My soul…_

* * *

**I apologise for the late update folks, but I've been having trouble uploading the next chapter. I'd appreciate any comments or advice for the next. Just to pre-warn you, I'm taking a trip to America in a couple of days so I might not add Chapter 7 until as late as June because, when I come back, I'll be cramming for exams, so please bare with me and I'll upload ASAP.**


	6. Chapter 6 - Priorities

**PRIORITIES**

Expanding in size, Maka Albarn screwed her eyes shut. A spine chilling screech of metal colliding with metal forced her back to her senses. A pair of warm, blood sodden hands grasped Maka around her waist and dragged her out of the shadow of a God.

"N-No…S-Soul…"

Bracing against Havok's attack, Death the Kid saw his friends flee as his enemy's smoking Death Scythe began to slice through his resistance. Uniting all his strength, Kid propelled Havok backwards. As he tottered on the edge of the fiery chasm, Kid squatted and raised his twin Death Cannons.

"Death Needles fully charged!" Patty cheered.

"Firing in 4…"

"3…"

"2…"

"1…"

"Fire!" Liz sanctioned.

The combined roar of the Death Cannons couldn't be overpowered. Havok's eyes amplified his terror as the jet stream of light charged towards him. He had but a second to blink before plummeting into Hell. Incredulously, Kid stared as an ominous shadow formed from his melting Death Scythe and rose before him, shielding him, absorbing the blast. From within the black skull-shaped clouds, Kid heard a familiar cackle etched in a mournful cry. As the smoke cleared, the aftershock struck, blasting the shadow back against Havok, encasing him as they fell to their deaths. Veins of neon orange shot across its ashen flesh as a pair of glossy, black eyes smiled back at the young Shinigami, suddenly full of life.

Shaken to his soul, Kid released his suffocating grip as his Death Scythes returned to their portable pistols. Pivoting to face his friends, his victory was swallowed by the explosive bellow that vomited fire hundreds of feet into the air.

Casting a glare in the direction of the volcano, Kid signalled a full retreat. Black Star abandoned his newest nemesis, watching him race to the volcano's edge as if to dive into a cascading wave at the beach. No doubt the water was infested with sharks.

"Black Star, he'll die!" Tsubaki cried.

Gritting his teeth, Black Star sheathed his Katana and raced back. Re-evaluating the situation, Black Star watched with horror as Raphael plunged his hands into the fire, spreading and consuming the molten blood like there was no greater pleasure on Earth. The plum-coloured concrete cracked and began to melt. Neon orange veins surged across the boiling flesh of the Witch Realm.

"Forget it!" he defied, shaking his head. "I'm getting you out of here!"

_Black Star…_

"Speed Star!"

His voice echoed long after he launched himself across burning earth. He saw a glaring purple blaze in the distance, his ears picking up and decoding the shouts of encouragement and cries of fear. His eyes focused on a stumbling Soul and Maka.

"Tsubaki, when we reach the other side, help Maka. I'll get Soul."

"Got it!"

His concentration shifted with the quivering earth. Smouldering rocks crashed closer with every detonation. It was as if they were missiles, launched by an invisible enemy. Kid ignored his imagination, focusing on the mirror. Finally, the familiar violet pane of glass bled into view as the ground beneath his feet began to smoke.

"Black Star! Hurry!" he warned, ushering Patty and Liz through the mirror.

"Kid, what about you?"

"Protect your sister!"

"No, wait – Kid, we can help!" Liz defied, reaching for her Meister.

"Just go!" Kid ordered as Tsubaki reverted back to her human form, clutching and hoisting one of Maka's arms over her shoulders.

Nano-seconds later, Black Star copied, forcing Soul to his feet. Kid joined him, turning his back to the living Hell. The flames hissed and the ground spat as the volcano continued to spew its fiery venom. Releasing his hold, Kid led Black Star and Soul through the portal before returning for Maka and Tsubaki.

"W-Wait, Havok –"

Hastily, Kid silenced Maka, shoving her and Tsubaki through the portal. He gazed back long enough to catch sight of four silhouettes standings amongst the heart of the flames. A face comprised of coal ash materialised inside the endless geyser of fire. He clamped his hands over his ears at its agonising howl. Immediately, the ash shot at one of the four, their screams piercing, and soul shattering.

Beneath his feet, the ground snapped and a second geyser forced Kid to fly backwards through the portal. Once again, the remnants of a cackle rang in Kid's ears. But it wasn't dying anymore, and the whisper that accompanied it was finally audible. It consumed his mind, the seemingly meaningless words infecting his soul with a sense of dread. It foretold Kid that his concern would never be misplaced.

Seated on the cushioned ledge below his elaborately large bedroom window, Death the Kid found that the cold glass felt soothing against his burning forehead. Absent mindedly, he gazed out into the thicket of clouds and rain that had hovered over Death City since before dawn. Secretly, Kid was glad the storm had woken him. His restless dreams had left him more exhausted than battle. Sitting calmly, quietly in the darkness, he began to understand the possible fascinations mortals may have shared with the shadows.

The Shadow Queen's resurrection displayed an insufferable, and insane, obsession with power within her subjects. Their mindless devotion perturbed Kid.

_Just like Asura…consuming everything in his path. Can't they see they'll just get themselves killed?!_

Kid continued to mill through his thoughts, reflecting back on his untimely return to Shibusen at the burning hand of a force alien to him. It wasn't fearful, but it wasn't enraged either. It hadn't damaged him, yet, Kid couldn't help but feel it hadn't coincidently saved him, either. Nothing made sense. Leaning against the wall, his legs bound by the arms he wrapped around his knees, Kid recalled disheartened voices amongst memorial moments he would cherish long after death, whether he wanted to or not.

His train of thought veered off track as the hypnotic, rippling song emanating from his mirror encompassed the room. Shifting to answer, Kid moved to sit on his bed and face his summon.

"Ah, Kiddo, sorry to wake you," Shinigami-sama apologised, his eye sockets drooping.

"I've been up for hours, father. It's fine."

"Well, I promise to let you get right back to sleep. I just need to run a few things with you first."

Kid stood at attention, suddenly bursting with energy. "What is it? Were you able to learn who the Queen's followers were? Have you been able to get through to the Witch Realm?"

"Yes and no," Shinigami-sama replied. "Havok has allied himself with Alistair and Xavier, a powerful Meister and Demon Weapon respectively." As he spoke, life-like images were displayed on the mirror's surface.

_They're just kids!_ "I've never heard of them. Were they expelled from Shibusen before I arrived?"

"According to my knowledge, and the school records, they were never enrolled here. Sometimes, we miss a few," he shrugged, sighing. "Despite their power and compatibility, their souls haven't yet devolved into Kishin Eggs. It's highly likely that they haven't feasted upon human souls."

"There was another, Raphael, I think," Kid steered, standing poised and collected before his father, all trace of fear and restlessness gone.

Shinigami-sama nodded. "Raphael, an autonomous Demon Weapon in the guise of a flamethrower. I've found he's been in close contact with a Witch, Isabella, a spy set up in the Witch Realm. It's likely their admiration of fire brought them together, though it's still unclear how they all met and released the Shadow Queen."

"Did they escape?" Kid snapped earnestly. "I know the explosion didn't kill the Queen, but what about her followers? I think she…possessed one of them, like Medusa. You mentioned her possessive capabilities before. Is it possible?"

Again, Shinigami-sama's eyes drooped. "I don't have the answers, Kiddo. I know as much as you. After that explosion, I lost contact with the Witch Realm. I can't sense, or see it, as I was permitted by the High Witch Mabaa. There is something I need to discuss with you on that matter, though. You and your friends, that is." Kid remained stubbornly mute. "Uhm? Kiddo, is everything alright?"

"I was just thinking, father," Kid saved.

"About your friends…?"

"…Yes. I, er, reacted…unnecessarily when we returned."

"Kiddo, it's not your fault you were ill prepared. If I had known of the Queen's numbers, I would have sent reinforcements."

"You had to seal the portal, father. If you hadn't, the Queen could have gained direct access to Shibusen. I understood the risks when I accepted the mission." The young Shinigami inhaled deeply, gathering his thoughts. "I also understand why Maka didn't tell me about Havok."

"Er, Kiddo –" Shinigami-sama interrupted, tilting his head to the side.

"Havok's her…well, he _was_ her brother. I don't understand all the intricacies of family life, but I can understand that the information came as much of a blow to Maka as it did to me, to Black Star, to Tsubaki, to Soul – he didn't look surprised in the slightest, but that's beside the point! It doesn't mean I have to get so personally involved in her private family affairs."

_If you only knew, Kiddo…_

Kid had taken up on pacing back and forth across his bedroom, his hands gesturing continuously, expelling unspoken doubts and bottled up energy. "This goes for Maka's relationship with Soul as well. I can't force them to work together. If necessary, I could ask Spirit-Sempi to work with me and Soul. At least that way I'd have two Death Scythes." _I couldn't handle just one…no, I'd need two._

"Liz and Patty would be safe, then. That last battle really took its toll. If I'd tried harder, I could have prevented Liz from getting…from getting…" Heaving a sigh, Kid sat back down on his four poster bed, yawning unwillingly.

"It was a close call, Kiddo. I know you did your best."

"Thanks, father. But, if Maka's willing to keep the team together – no, whether she wants me on the team or not – my priority should be preparing for the next battle. I can trust Soul and Maka to come up with a plan. They can do anything when they put their mind to it."

Elizabeth Thompson yawned as she lumbered down the mansion stairs to answer the door. She hadn't the energy to fuss over her lopsided eye mask. It had stomped her unruly bed hair into a knotted mess, leaving it to resemble a bird's nest.

_The sooner I find out who's pulling a prank, the sooner I can go back to sleep!_

With an impressive yawn, she unlocked and opened the door. Several pairs of eyes stared back at her. Suddenly, she became very self conscious. A pink powder dusted her cheeks as she gazed back.

"Sorry to wake you Liz, but, erm, may we come in?"

"Er, sure thing, Maka," she replied wearily, steeping aside, opening the door wider.

Stamping her wellington boots on the mat, Maka slid aside to let Soul, Black Star and Tsubaki follow her. Half confused and half embarrassed, Liz closed the door. For a moment, the gang stood in silence; unconsciously, Maka's eyes shifted to the neat stitches sewn across Elizabeth's cheek. She turned away, reminded of her failures and regrets. Liz dragged her matted hair over her rose dusted cheeks, instinctively responding to Maka's self-criticising glare.

"Hey, sis, where'd you go?" Patty called languidly as she shambled down the stairs and across the hall, surprising her dreary guests. "Huh? Is it time for school already?" she groaned, rubbing her eyes.

"No, Patty. You can go back to sleep," Liz replied, taking drenched raincoats to hang in the hall.

"OK," the childish blonde yawned. "But you've gotta tuck me back in," she grumbled.

"Alright, Patty," Liz agreed. "Could you guys just wait a sec? I'll be right back."

"Maybe we should come back," Tsubaki voiced. "If he's asleep…"

"Kiddo wouldn't waste his time sleeping!" Black Star argued. "He's got a lot of responsibilities as a God, you know. Just like me!"

"Black Star, please," the scentless flower insisted.

"It's alright," Liz assured. "He was awake when – when we went up," she added, pausing to yawn as she tried to flatten her hair down.

"Be careful, though," Patty warned. "Nobody's happy when Kiddo's grumpy."

Signalling the door on the end of the upstairs hall, Elizabeth strayed into another room to appease a surly Patricia. She grumbled about the time, the lack of sun, and how she was too tired to laugh at Black Star.

Despite their protests, Black Star seemed determined Kid kept secret weapon stashed in his house. Tsubaki inclined for Soul and Maka to continue with their mission, but once out of sight, Black Star simply sat on the closest couch and lay back, watching the world go by as he listened to the endless sheets of rain pound on the tiled roof.

Joining him, Tsubaki caught his eye. In their silence, they said more than anyone would never know. Smiling, she sat back against the soothing leather and closed her eyes, perfectly contented.

_Thank you, Black Star._

Silently, he shared her smile, raising his arms behind his head as he gaze heavenward.

_We're counting on you. Don't screw this up._

Reaching the door, receiving Soul's reassuring nod to continue down a path less travelled. Hesitantly, Maka knocked, but received no answer. Soul followed her lead, rapping his knuckles on the wood. The fresh bandages woven over their burns and blisters gained a darker and depressing tone of red.

"Er, Kiddo, are you in there?" Maka asked hoarsely. "It – It's me, Maka, and Soul. Can we come in?"

There was an inaudible voice that muffled somewhat of a reply. Elated, Maka grasped the polished door handle and entered. Over her shoulder, Soul witnessed the same sight: Kid, standing tall and proud with his back glaring at them from within the stormy gloom.

Shuddering, Maka ventured inward, trying to breathe and collect what courage she could muster to apologise. But before she could speak, Kid spoke first.

"I also understand why Maka didn't tell me about Havok."

Confused beyond words, Soul realigned his Meister gaze to focus on the sight beyond the Shinigami obscuring her vision. His mirror was alive. Alive and talking.

"Er, Kiddo –"

Blushing, Maka opened her mouth to apologise yet again, but she was silenced. Kid's monologue sent her tongue numb, warming her heart as it touched her soul. Out of the corner of her eye, Liz had slid into view, her eyes watering as a hand hovered over her scarred cheek. Maka even witnessed Soul sniff back the odd tear as he drew his arms around her, protecting his Meister, taking the Shinigami's praise to heart.

"I can trust Soul and Maka to come up with a plan. They can do anything when they put their mind to it," Kid declared, his words strengthened by the flame of hope Maka watched burn bright within his soul. He stretched and fell back onto his crumpled sheets. Only then did he truly understand the situation.

"Lizzy, Maka, Soul…" He rose, sitting up to face them. "What – Aagh!"

Regardless of his training and experience, Kid had no means of seeing or stopping Liz from throwing her arms around his shoulders.

"Thank you, Kid!"

Eyeing Soul and Maka's confident and elated smiles cast across their faces, Kid returned Liz's hug, grateful she hadn't sent him toppling off the bed or tossed him into the desert for interrupting her "beauty sleep". "Does this mean I'm forgiven?"

Liz prized herself from his grasp, sending him a look of disbelief. "Of course!" she exclaimed, all composure forgotten as she knelt on her Meister bed like Patty did when she cooed for a bedtime story.

"Well, on one condition," Maka interrupted timidly. Liz rounded on the Meister, her anger waning as Maka swayed, her cheeks reddening with guilt. "Please, forgive us, and, er, more importantly…me."

"You didn't do anything wrong," Kid denied as he stood.

"Nothing a little training won't hurt, right partner?" Soul winked.

Beaming like a child, Maka nodded, returning his wink. "Right…partner!"

"So beautiful!" Spirit chocked.

"I know! They grow up so fast, don't they?" Shinigami-sama sobbed.

"Father…." an exasperated Kid moaned.

"Papa?!" Maka cried.

"Oh, don't worry, Maka. I only came to drop off some information for Shinigami-sama about the next mission."

"Information?" Kid asked, reverting back to his tireless façade.

"Yes. The final communication transmission I received from the High Witch Mabaa had a coded message hidden within the text. Stein was able to decipher it."

"Cool," Soul celebrated, leaning against the bed post, his hands still stuffed inside his pockets.

"We can do it!" Maka encouraged. "We can defeat her!"

"I'm afraid not," Shinigami-sama denied.

"What are you talking about? We'll train. We'll prepare ourselves," Kid countered.

"It's just as I feared," he frowned, his eye sockets sinking further into his mask. They waited with baited breath. "The Shadow Queen is Soulless."

"Soulless…?" Liz cringed, a twinge of fear slinking across her face, turning her skin a disgusting pale green. Similarly, Soul's crooked smirk faded into a foreboding scowl.

"If she doesn't have a soul, how is she still alive?!" Maka yelled.

"More importantly," Kid summoned, "how do we kill her…if she's already dead?"


End file.
